Ocho Loved Flowers

Written by Anne Fontaine and illustrated by Obadinah

Working from her personal story, the author wanted to share with children the wisdom that can be gained from experiencing the loss of a beloved pet or other loved one. Our challenge was to develop a children’s picture book that would answer the need of adults to educate and comfort children experiencing such a loss. First, we editorially developed the story for ages 3+, aiming for three audiences and markets: veterinarians, animal welfare organizations, and hospice professionals. We positioned the book as an educational resource by adding discussion questions based on the story, at the end of the book. We then engaged an experienced children’s book illustrator who produced full-color paintings that sensitively expressed the range of emotions a child may feel when caring for, and ultimately saying goodbye to, a beloved pet. Our branding and marketing strategy for this independently published book resulted in a beautiful, inspiring book for children about death and dying. The book received the highest praise from the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation and animal welfare organizations. Adult educators now had a high-quality resource to help children learn about experiences of selfless friendship, death and dying, coping with grief, and loving remembrance.